CQUniversity Theatre students have embarked on their annual pre-Schoolies tour, staging the Choices drama production to convince teenagers to avoid risky behaviour...

The tour runs for the next two weeks, covering nearly all Mackay high schools as well as those in Sarina, Dysart, Proserpine, Moranbah and Bowen.

Rehearsals for the latest 'Choices' production

The take-home messages have been updated to reflect new laws and to align with current campaigns from various government departments, such as the 'one punch can kill' campaign and the various driving messages for p-platers.

The Choices drama program is a cross-agency initiative led by the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Service (ATODS) with Queensland Health in Mackay. The applied theatre project incorporates a script written, directed and performed by Bachelor of Theatre students, in consultation with the Choices Committee (which has representatives and input from ATODS, Police, Sexual Health, the Conservatorium, the Whitsunday Schoolies Advisory Committee and the departments of Transport, Communities, Education and Ambulance.

Research on the Choices program is conducted in partnership with the Centre for Youth Substance Abuse (CYSAR) at the University of Queensland. Previous findings have shown that students who see Choices are 50% less likely to engage in risky behaviour.